Intra-Uterine Insemination in the Dog Using the Scandinavian Trans-Cervical Catheter and a Comparison with other Methods

Introduction The interest for canine semen preservation and artificial insemination (AI) is steadily increasing worldwide, yet comparatively few studies are published each year within this field, and it is particularly difficult to find data from artificial inseminations using fresh semen, or semen preserved according to various methods for chilling, or freezing and thawing, and also comparing results when different techniques to perform the inseminations are used. One reason for the scarcity of data is that it is expensive to do experimental studies in dogs, and few research centers can keep large enough dog colonies for this kind of studies. Another reason is that most of the large companies processing and distributing canine semen for dog breeders are working on a purely commercial basis, and although some of them appear to keep records of their results neither these results, nor the composition of the extenders or the methods for preservation of the semen are disclosed. Any knowledge thus gained will, therefore, remain with the different companies, and will not be of benefit to the scientific world, and thus neither to the dog breeders in general. The only studies on canine artificial insemination reporting on fertility results from a large number of inseminations are those by Seager et al., [1] on 156 frozen-thawed semen AIs using vaginal deposition, Linde-Forsberg & Forsberg [2,3] on 470 and 527 AIs respectively, using both fresh, chilled extended and frozen-thawed semen and vaginal as well as intra-uterine AI, Linde-Forsberg et al., [4] on 327 frozen-thawed semen AIs, comparing vaginal and intra-uterine AI, Linde-Forsberg [5] reporting on 2041 AIs with fresh and chilled extended, and frozen-thawed semen and using both vaginal and intra-uterine AI, and Thomassen et al., [6] on 312 frozen-thawed mainly intra-uterine AIs. A number of factors are of importance in determining the success rate of artificial insemination in dogs, such as when and how many times during the estrous cycle of the bitch the AI is performed, semen quality and handling, and the insemination technique. More information about those facets can be found in the cited references. This paper will only deal with the insemination techniques and the effects of the site of semen deposition.